Archive - March 2017

The Wheel of Fortune is one of the most mystical cards of the tarot. On the wheel itself are the Hebrew letters for YHWH, or the name of God, and in between those letters are T-A-R-O, or tarot. Inside that are the alchemical symbols for the four elements for fire, water, earth, and air.

The four figures in the corner – the winged man, the eagle, the winged ox, and the winged lion – stand for the writers of the Gospel, Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark, respectively. They also loosely correlate to the fixed signs of the zodiac, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, and Leo. All in all, everything will be okay.

The god of intelligence, Hermes, rises on the right. The god of evil sinks on the left. The sphinx, representing the mysteries of existence, sits on top as if to rule the wheel.

The wheel of Fortune spins. Life is full of ups and downs, and things happen in cycles. If you’ve heard the old adage “sometimes, when a door closes, a window opens,” or “thank God for unanswered prayers,” we understand that “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” and yet, we still get good things. We couldn’t have made them happen with our limited knowledge.

That’s what Hermes rising means. You live, you learn, and you become wiser. Hermes will eventually met the sphinx and think he’s got it all figured out, only to spin down again on the cycle.

The Wheel floats in the air by itself. It’s always falling but never landing, and never crashing. It’s just there, turning forever, like the Earth, the Moon, the planets on the cycles we humans experience as the passing of time.

When the Wheel of Fortune card is drawn, the client or querent is facing circumstances out of their knowledge but not necessarily out their control. Yes, fortunes are about to change, but the querent has to looks where it’s going. This is time when the querent should stay optimistic, especially if they’re experiencing rough times. They should improve, as nothing lasts forever.

When Reversed: The Wheel of Fortune reversed usually means that the querent resists change. They either don’t feel secure enough to move on and embrace change, or they’re still holding onto something long dead. This is a warning to let go of the past or be stuck in it forever. This may also mean that the querent is blaming others for past misfortunes and not accepting responsibility. Even if one is victimized through no fault of their own, one can find a way to grow and learn, if only for their own sake.

This card reversed can also mean change for the bad because the querent is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by being pessimistic. The lesson here is to figure out the difference between pessimism and realism. While we can’t always shape our reality, we can shape our approach to it and influence the tides of change by embracing them with a positive outlook.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: A past reversal or change of fortune has set the tone for current events. Keep your chin up and hope for the best.

Present: A current upheaval may be upsetting, but it’s for the best. Look on the bright side. Try to find a bright side.

Future: Things are about to change for good or bad, depending on whether the card is right side up or reversed. Don’t despair your current lot in life, because one day, it’ll be a memory.

Tarot Card Meaning: The Fool

The Fool stands at the precipice of a cliff, looking up at the sky, his supplies on his back and his companion at his feet, a puppy as young and naïve as the Fool himself. The sun is at his back, and to that he lifts a white rose. The Fool, the rose, and the white puppy all signify the innocence and open-minded spirit of youth.

The Fool also represents inexperience. This card is not a counting number. Zero is empty. It’s nothing. The Fool has nothing really. No riches, no experience, and no wisdom. His cloak is ragged, but he stands tall and proud. He has nothing of material value, but he doesn’t feel loss. He’s as light as the feather in his hat, and he’s ready to fly.

That bag he carries? It may full of supplies for the journey, or it may be empty and waiting to be filled. The Fool is ready to fill up its mind, senses, and life with experiences. It’s newborn, facing the world and ready to take the plunge.

When The Fool card is drawn, it signifies a place where the client or querent is either experiencing something for the first time, or feeling a renewed sense of adventure or wonder. It can also signify a place where the querent is heading without looking or thinking. It’s also the spark of creativity and curiosity through which all else comes to be.

The main feature of The Fool card is that it’s where the querent isn’t afraid. Depending on the situation, it can show where they’re not afraid because they don’t have to be, or that they’re not afraid because they don’t know that they should be afraid.

When this card is thrown, the querent should take pause. This can be an exciting time in a person’s life where they either embark on new journeys or feel like a brand new person. If this card is drawn after a harrowing experience like loss, this may signify that the querent is ready for a change for the better where they shed the baggage of their sorrows. It can also, however, signify a refusal to be beaten down by the world.

When The Fool is Reversed:

The Fool reversed is the dark side of being The Fool. The dark side of being naïve is being exploited. The dark side of being adventurous is risking injury. The dark side of having nothing to lose is never holding onto anything. The sun is at the Fool’s back, which makes The Fool cast a long, dark shadow over everything ahead of it.

The Fool is standing at the edge of a craggy cliff. He’s on the cusp of walking off the cliff or tripping over. The reversed Fool Card shows a possibility of tripping over the edge and falling into the unknown below. After all, The Fool isn’t watching where it’s going. Therefore, when reversed, The Fool card tells the querent to open their eyes, look around, and stop fooling themselves.